Latest news with #Madina
The Irish Sun
23-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Brit pilot jailed in ex-Soviet hell prison could be freed after ex-wife's ‘chilling confession to killing baby' emerges
A BRIT pilot jailed for murder in a hellhole ex-Soviet prison could be freed after his ex-wife 'confessed' to killing their baby daughter. Mohamed Barakat, 46, is 10 Mohamed Barakat is pictured on his wedding day with his ex-wife Madina Abdullayeva Credit: East2West 10 Barakat is serving 20 years over the death of daughter Sophia Credit: East2West 10 Madina was the main prosecution witness at the trial Credit: East2West 10 Madina is seen on hotel CCTV calling for help Credit: East2West Bombshell recordings have now emerged of Madina Abdullayeva, 28, apparently admitting to unintentionally causing the death of her daughter Sophia. Barakat was sentenced in 2020 after a judge ruled he But the chilling audio which has been newly uncovered could mean the commercial pilot, who flew for a subsidiary of Hong Kong Airlines, could be freed or face a retrial. Madina was the main prosecution witness at his trial in Read more about crime here Barakat received a maximum sentence under the criminal code because of the "aggravating circumstance' of committing the murder 'in a state of alcoholic and drug intoxication', said the appeal court. The country's prosecutor's office recently triggered an investigation 'on newly discovered circumstances', namely a confession by the pilot's glamorous ex-wife that she killed the baby. Detailed analysis including a 'forensic video-phonoscopy examination' reveals the confession to be Madina's voice, the pilot's legal representatives have been informed. It also found there was no tampering of the WhatsApp recording. Most read in The Sun The pilot himself recorded his ex-wife from inside his prison. 'I kill her….,' Madina is accused of posting, in evidence now being examined by police. 'I know you did,' replied the pilot, who has always maintained his innocence and previously claimed that his wife accidentally killed the child on 24 October 2019, but blamed him. Madin allegedly said on the recorded call to Barakat how she broke Sophia's neck at the hotel in Almaty. 'I left…and then when I come back, she is awake and crying because she's hungry. 'I start to feed her. And then she start to poo… 'And I try to wash her bum. And when I wash her, I break her neck…' She also told him she wanted to have another child with him. In a video made by privately-schooled Barakat, he said of her 'confession': 'Two days ago, we had another argument. 'I told her I would never have another baby with her until she told me what happened to my daughter, Sophia Barakat. 10 Barakat received a maximum sentence Credit: East2West 10 The courts ruled that Madina had been beaten by her husband Credit: East2West 10 Barakat was sentenced in 2020 after a judge ruled he smashed his "smiling" baby during a drunken drug-fuelled hotel rampage Credit: East2West 'And here you can see, she wrote 'Call me please'. 'And then, she writes 'I kill her'. In later conversations, Madina repeatedly asks him to 'forgive me'. These accounts are startlingly different from the version accepted by judges at the pilot's trial and appeal. The courts ruled that Madina had been beaten by her husband - despite no evidence she had any injuries - and left their hotel room after which he killed the child. The wife then opened the door and picked up the motionless girl, rushing down to the hotel lobby, where she was seen on security cameras. Madina had shouted: 'He killed my child, he hit her,' according to one hotel staff member. Hotel workers said the baby was 'blue'. Earlier they remembered the British girl as 'always smiling' during the family's stay at the Intercontinental Hotel in Almaty. The wife collapsed several times in the lobby as staff called medics who found the baby to be dead. 10 In later conversations, Madina repeatedly asks him to 'forgive me' Credit: East2West 10 The pilot was said by the judge to be drunk and under the influence of drugs Credit: East2West 10 Mohamed Barakat, 46, is serving a 20-year sentence Credit: East2West There are a host of other inconsistencies regarding the verdict. In turning down an appeal by the pilot, three women judges in 2021 ruled that 'the guilt of the convict [Barakat] was proved by the testimony of a witness - a hotel maid - that she heard the sounds of banging on the wall, after which the crying of the child immediately fell silent'. The judges said: 'More than ten witnesses testified that they saw the woman [Madina] with the child in her arms, who ran to the reception and reported that her drunken husband had killed her child.' Yet law enforcement broke their own rules in using photographs not the corpse to establish fatal wounds. Based on these errors, the court found Sophia died from 'multiple impacts…caused by repeated blows' - namely from Barakat banging his child's head repeatedly against the walls or doors, smashing the child's brain. The pilot was said by the judge to be drunk and under the influence of drugs yet astonishingly no drugs were found in his blood or urine, according to documents in the case. The only evidence of drug use was a toxicology test showing traces of THC in vomit from the hotel mattress, yet the centre has dismissed use of such evidence as unreliable. 'CCTV shows him walking steadily into the hotel, handing balloons to his daughter, and carrying her. Hotel staff said he did not appear drunk,' said his lawyer Din-Mukhamed Narymbetov. Additionally, Madina was the main prosecution witness based on evidence she gave in the aftermath of the killing. 'Her statements were obtained with procedural violations, and she eventually retracted them,' said the lawyer. Barakat said after obtaining his ex-wife's 'confession': 'Madina knows I am innocent. My family knows I'm innocent. The lawyers who stood with me - they know I'm innocent.' He must now wait for the Kazakh authorities to decide on the next legal steps. Asked to comment, Madina Abdullayeva said: 'I am not going to answer these questions.'
Scottish Sun
23-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Brit pilot jailed in ex-Soviet hell prison could be freed after ex-wife's ‘chilling confession to killing baby' emerges
'I BREAK HER NECK' Brit pilot jailed in ex-Soviet hell prison could be freed after ex-wife's 'chilling confession to killing baby' emerges Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BRIT pilot jailed for murder in a hellhole ex-Soviet prison could be freed after his ex-wife 'confessed' to killing their baby daughter. Mohamed Barakat, 46, is serving a 20-year sentence in a high security jail in Kazakhstan but has always maintained his innocence. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 Mohamed Barakat is pictured on his wedding day with his ex-wife Madina Abdullayeva Credit: East2West 10 Barakat is serving 20 years over the death of daughter Sophia Credit: East2West 10 Madina was the main prosecution witness at the trial Credit: East2West 10 Madina is seen on hotel CCTV calling for help Credit: East2West Bombshell recordings have now emerged of Madina Abdullayeva, 28, apparently admitting to unintentionally causing the death of her daughter Sophia. Barakat was sentenced in 2020 after a judge ruled he smashed his "smiling" baby during a drunken drug-fuelled hotel rampage, crushing her head against a wall. But the chilling audio which has been newly uncovered could mean the commercial pilot, who flew for a subsidiary of Hong Kong Airlines, could be freed or face a retrial. Madina was the main prosecution witness at his trial in Kazakhstan. Read more about crime here 'MURDER' PROBE Man in his 60s arrested on suspicion of murdering elderly woman in village Barakat received a maximum sentence under the criminal code because of the "aggravating circumstance' of committing the murder 'in a state of alcoholic and drug intoxication', said the appeal court. The country's prosecutor's office recently triggered an investigation 'on newly discovered circumstances', namely a confession by the pilot's glamorous ex-wife that she killed the baby. Detailed analysis including a 'forensic video-phonoscopy examination' reveals the confession to be Madina's voice, the pilot's legal representatives have been informed. It also found there was no tampering of the WhatsApp recording. The pilot himself recorded his ex-wife from inside his prison. 'I kill her….,' Madina is accused of posting, in evidence now being examined by police. 'I know you did,' replied the pilot, who has always maintained his innocence and previously claimed that his wife accidentally killed the child on 24 October 2019, but blamed him. Madin allegedly said on the recorded call to Barakat how she broke Sophia's neck at the hotel in Almaty. 'I left…and then when I come back, she is awake and crying because she's hungry. 'I start to feed her. And then she start to poo… 'And I try to wash her bum. And when I wash her, I break her neck…' She also told him she wanted to have another child with him. In a video made by privately-schooled Barakat, he said of her 'confession': 'Two days ago, we had another argument. 'I told her I would never have another baby with her until she told me what happened to my daughter, Sophia Barakat. 10 Barakat received a maximum sentence Credit: East2West 10 The courts ruled that Madina had been beaten by her husband Credit: East2West 10 Barakat was sentenced in 2020 after a judge ruled he smashed his "smiling" baby during a drunken drug-fuelled hotel rampage Credit: East2West 'And here you can see, she wrote 'Call me please'. 'And then, she writes 'I kill her'. In later conversations, Madina repeatedly asks him to 'forgive me'. These accounts are startlingly different from the version accepted by judges at the pilot's trial and appeal. The courts ruled that Madina had been beaten by her husband - despite no evidence she had any injuries - and left their hotel room after which he killed the child. The wife then opened the door and picked up the motionless girl, rushing down to the hotel lobby, where she was seen on security cameras. Madina had shouted: 'He killed my child, he hit her,' according to one hotel staff member. Hotel workers said the baby was 'blue'. Earlier they remembered the British girl as 'always smiling' during the family's stay at the Intercontinental Hotel in Almaty. The wife collapsed several times in the lobby as staff called medics who found the baby to be dead. 10 In later conversations, Madina repeatedly asks him to 'forgive me' Credit: East2West 10 The pilot was said by the judge to be drunk and under the influence of drugs Credit: East2West 10 Mohamed Barakat, 46, is serving a 20-year sentence Credit: East2West There are a host of other inconsistencies regarding the verdict. In turning down an appeal by the pilot, three women judges in 2021 ruled that 'the guilt of the convict [Barakat] was proved by the testimony of a witness - a hotel maid - that she heard the sounds of banging on the wall, after which the crying of the child immediately fell silent'. The judges said: 'More than ten witnesses testified that they saw the woman [Madina] with the child in her arms, who ran to the reception and reported that her drunken husband had killed her child.' Yet law enforcement broke their own rules in using photographs not the corpse to establish fatal wounds. Based on these errors, the court found Sophia died from 'multiple impacts…caused by repeated blows' - namely from Barakat banging his child's head repeatedly against the walls or doors, smashing the child's brain. The pilot was said by the judge to be drunk and under the influence of drugs yet astonishingly no drugs were found in his blood or urine, according to documents in the case. The only evidence of drug use was a toxicology test showing traces of THC in vomit from the hotel mattress, yet the centre has dismissed use of such evidence as unreliable. 'CCTV shows him walking steadily into the hotel, handing balloons to his daughter, and carrying her. Hotel staff said he did not appear drunk,' said his lawyer Din-Mukhamed Narymbetov. Additionally, Madina was the main prosecution witness based on evidence she gave in the aftermath of the killing. 'Her statements were obtained with procedural violations, and she eventually retracted them,' said the lawyer. Barakat said after obtaining his ex-wife's 'confession': 'Madina knows I am innocent. My family knows I'm innocent. The lawyers who stood with me - they know I'm innocent.' He must now wait for the Kazakh authorities to decide on the next legal steps. Asked to comment, Madina Abdullayeva said: 'I am not going to answer these questions.'
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Helping Hands organisation honours ‘deserving dads' in Dannhauser
Fathers who may have felt overlooked this past Father's Day were given a warm-hearted reminder of their value when the Dannhauser-based Helping Hands organisation hosted a special appreciation event on June 15. Deserving dads were treated to a wholesome meal and heartfelt fellowship in a welcoming hall filled with gratitude and a sense of community spirit. On what was a cold winter's day, the hot meal and kind words offered comfort and dignity to the fathers in attendance. Helping Hands extended sincere thanks to the many local sponsors who helped make the event a success. Special appreciation went to Mr and Mrs Bana for the delicious braai meat, Zaheer Moosa from Caltex, Ali and Nabil from Madina, Khanti (former Horizon Restaurant), and Anel from The Paw in Newcastle, who contributed drinks and sweet treats. The Helping Hands team co-ordinated the day with care and dedication. Following on from the Father's Day gathering, the organisation continued its outreach efforts by partnering up with the Al-Imdaad Foundation for a winter blanket distribution. As part of Helping Hands' ongoing winter drive, 50 blankets and beanies were handed out to the needy, along with refreshing drinks provided by Venay Dookie. Community member Manoj Goordeen was also thanked for assisting with sound equipment during the event. 'We're super grateful at Dannhauser Helping Hands for your kindness and support,' said organiser Farzanah Dookie, who praised the collaborative effort that made the initiative possible.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Daily Mirror
18-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Brit pilot jailed for baby's brutal murder could walk free as wife 'confesses'
London-born pilot Mohamed Barakat, 46, has spent five years behind bars after his one-year-old daughter was murdered - but an alleged 'confession' from his ex-wife could change his fate A British airline captain locked up in a hellhole prison in Kazakhstan for the brutal death of his one-year-old daughter could walk free after an alleged confession from his glam ex-wife. London-born Airbus 330 pilot Mohamed Barakat, 46, was thrown into prison to serve a 20 year sentence in a high security prison after his British daughter Sophia Barakat died. The one-year-old's brains were "crushed" in a drink and drug fuelled frenzy at a five star hotel on 24 October 2019, according to the court case in Kazakhstan, which convicted her father. Kazakh police have now opened an investigation into whether the Brit was wrongly jailed for the tragic death. The country's Prosecutor's Office has triggered an investigation "on newly discovered circumstances", primarily an alleged confession by the pilot's ex-wife Madina Abdullayeva, 28, that she - and not her husband - killed the baby. At the time, staff at the hotel said Madina blamed her husband for Sophia's death, shouting: "He killed my child, he hit her." His indictment at the time claimed Sophia's head was banged against the walls and doors of his five-star hotel suite. He was also accused of beating his wife before allegedly turning on his daughter. Despite this, his then-wife said she would support the pilot during his 2020 trial and said the one-year-old's death was an "accident". Madina was caught on CCTV on the night Sophia died pleading with the staff at the InterContinental Hotel, in Almaty, before she laid the girl's body on the reception counter. Unable to cope, the heartbroken mother sank to the floor, but was helped up by hotel security who had just called an ambulance. The distraught mother then tried to carry Sophia through to a sofa in the hotel lobby but collapsed on the floor again. In a shocking twist, the London-born pilot's legal team and family claim there is mounting evidence of a major miscarriage of justice. His former wife "has been questioned regarding the [new] circumstances of the case, and voice samples have also been obtained from her", revealed Police Lt-Col R Kurbanov. A "forensic video-phonoscopy examination" has been ordered and "other investigative actions are also planned", the prosecutor's office said. The pilot - who has been in detention and jail for five and a half years - turned detective from inside his prison, talking to his then estranged wife (the couple divorced in May 2025) on social media from his cell. Madina was accused of posting "I kill her....," in evidence now being examined by police and the pilot replied to her and said "I know you did." He has always maintained his innocence and previously claimed that his wife accidentally killed their child. The ex-wife allegedly also said in the social media chat, with the jailed pilot, that she wanted another baby with Barakat - who she had met in an Almaty nightclub. In a video made by privately-educated Barakat, from his jail cell, he spoke about her "confession" and said: "Two days ago, we had another argument. I told her I would never have another baby with her until she told me what happened to my daughter, Sophia Barakat. And here you can see, she wrote 'Call me please'. "And then, she writes 'I kill her'. And then''Say thanks that I didn't tell you.'" In later conversations, Madina allegedly asked him to "forgive me" several times. Separately, the wife on a recorded call allegedly said to Barakat that she broke Sophia's neck at the hotel in Almaty. The ex-wife supposedly said: "I left…and then when I come back, she is awake and crying because she's hungry. I start to feed her. And then she start to poo… and I try to wash her bum. And when I wash her, I break her neck…" The pilot received a maximum sentence under the criminal code because of the "aggravating circumstance" of committing the murder "in a state of alcoholic and drug intoxication', said the statement. His lawyer Din-Mukhamed Narymbetov said there were now "grounds for hope" his client will be exonerated based on new evidence and claimed there were also astonishing legal failings in the investigation and trial. One of these claims was that the only evidence of drug use was a toxicology test showing traces of THC in vomit from the hotel mattress, yet the centre has dismissed use of such evidence as unreliable. The lawyer said: "CCTV shows him walking steadily into the hotel, handing balloons to his daughter, and carrying her. Hotel staff said he did not appear drunk." Another alleged violation was that Sophia was British and under the rules three experts should have carried out the baby's autopsy, yet only one did. Barakat said: "Madina knows I am innocent. My family knows I'm innocent. The lawyers who stood with me - they know I'm innocent." When asked to comment on this report, Madina said: "I am not going to answer these questions."
CBS News
17-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
Two Detroit-area sisters teach about Ramadan through their new book
Two sisters from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, are on a mission to teach other kids about Ramadan through reading. Manessa Issa, 9, and her sister Madina, 7, are both published authors. Manessa created the title of her book, "My First Ramadan." "It's about my journey through fasting, and my first Ramadan," Manessa said. She decided to write the book after her little sister Madina published her book, "Heart of Madina," the year before. Madina underwent three open heart surgeries to correct a defect before her first birthday. "I had a heart defect, so that inspired me to make my book," Madina said. "It was like a just a heavy blow. It's just shocked, not knowing what to expect," said the girls' mother, Amera Issa. Both books have religious themes. They initially had the idea to create a YouTube channel about makeup, but Amera Issa nixed that plan. "It's more meaningful, and religion is better than makeup," Manessa said. The sisters now read their books at local schools and Mosques. They even started a website, Muslim Journeys . "You have moments where you feel like, 'Am I doing the right thing with my kids? Am I instilling the right things?' But when I'm sitting back and watching them do this, or having people come to me and tell me that they love my kid's books and they watch their YouTube channel, it's a very proud moment for me," Amera Issa said. For Madina, the moral of her story is a lesson on faith. "My First Ramadan" is a board book and it also features audio of Manessa reading from the Quran. " We should be grateful that God is letting you start fasting and praying. We have to try to feel like the orphan because they have no food and those that are less fortunate," Manessa said. The girls say they want people to learn Islam is a religion of peace. "No matter what background, no matter what religion, we are all the creation of God, so we all should treat each other with respect and kindness," Amera Issa said. The family's third book is coming out soon. You can buy copies of Manessa and Madina's books online .
